Sixteen-year-old Anne, mischievous and spirited as ever, returns to Avonlea, on Prince Edward Island, to teach in the village school where she herself was taught.

Sara Stanley finally returns home to Montreal, sadly leaving behind Avonlea and her newfound King family. But her joyful reunion with her father is cut short by sudden tragedy, and once again Sara is faced with the prospect of leaving home.

When Aunt Arabella's hope chest is finally opened after fifty years and nothing important is found, Sara is sure something must be hidden in the chest and she's determined to find it.